The Blue Spirit Zutara
by MissDudette and TheOnlyBean
Summary: Her bodyguard wore simple black clothing that covered his entire body, a brown strap that wrapped around his back and torso to hold his sword, and a blue mask.  She took a deep breath when she saw his mask for it was quite terrifying to behold.


Her fingers treaded softly on the water as she watched her reflection ripple beneath the small waves. Today was a very important day for her because today she would finally meet her bodyguard. Her brother refused to let her go to the Fire Nation alone knowing that anything could happen to her. He simply would not allow it.

He argued that there could be rouge soldiers intent on killing her or kidnapping and holding her for ransom. She tried to assure him that she could take care of herself and that she made several trips to the Fire Nation alone with no problems. She didn't know why he was acting up about the trip all of a sudden.

After a long while, he finally told her that there were groups of rouge soldiers and civilians who still believed that the Fire Nation should rule the world. He even admitted that there were several attempts at breaking Ozai out of prison.

The news didn't deter her, though, it only strengthened her resolve to go to that nation and help all those affected by the traitors that roamed the countryside. After a long and heated discussion her brother finally gave up and let her go, but he only let her go on the condition that she go with a bodyguard.

She protested at first, but at this, her brother would not budge so she unwillingly agreed. She knew her brother would have consented if Aang or Toph accompanied her, but Aang was rebuilding the Southern Air Temple and she couldn't wait for him to come to her. Toph was busy fighting rouge soldiers on the Western border of the Earth Kingdom and her brother and Suki were going to the Eastern border to deal with the traitorous people there.

That left only one option available: a bodyguard.

Sokka went as far as Ba Sing Se with Katara until he had to depart for the Eastern border. He told her that the bodyguard went by the name of the Blue Spirit and that he didn't talk all that much. However, Sokka had seen this man's loyalty in the war and he trusted him to protect his sister.

He wouldn't explain to Katara just what happened during that final battle, but he assured her that the Blue Spirit was no traitor.

She closed her eyes as the remnants of that last battle flitted through her mind. That war was so long ago it was like a bad dream that finally ended. The world was at peace again and everything was as it should be, in harmony.

She opened her eyes and noticed the reflection of King Bumi and another man with a blue mask in the small pond. She lifted her eyes from the pond and smiled at them. "King Bumi" It was a surprise to see him there, she heard that he was in Ba Sing Se, but she thought that he had returned to Omashu by now. It was apparent that she was wrong.

"Ah, Katara! We thought you were sleeping, heee, heee, heee." She stood up and swiped the dirt of her clothes before she came around the pond to give King Bumi a hug. He may have been a crazy old man, but he was a good man. "Katara, you have grown" She pulled away from her old friend with a smile still on her face. "You think so?" She asked it has been six years since she last saw him and that was when the war ended.

She noticed that she filled out a bit more and that she became wiser over the years, but she didn't think that she changed that much. "Yes, very much so" King Bumi laughed at her and then turned to the other man. "This is the Blue Spirit and he doesn't talk very much. Perhaps it is because he is hiding a deep dark secret" King Bumi looked at the man questionably then burst out into a fit of laughter.

Katara turned to her bodyguard, bowed her head in greeting, and took in his attire. Simple black clothing that covered his entire body, a brown strap that wrapped around his back and torso to hold his sword, and a blue mask. She took a deep breath when she saw his mask for it was quite terrifying to behold.

"Well then why don't you two stay for dinner?" Katara looked back at King Bumi as he spoke, "There is much to discuss before your departure" to that Katara agreed. She would leave as soon as first light appeared and then she and the Blue Spirit would be on their way.

The next day Katara said her goodbyes to King Bumi and the few friends she made and was on her way. It wasn't long until she and her bodyguard arrived in the Fire Nation to help the people being oppressed by the rouge groups.

They were there for four months; sometimes she would be healing the sick, sometimes she would be forced into hiding, and sometimes she would be tied up in some rebellion camp deep in the woods. She went through many crazy adventures while she was there, but the one thing that she could always count on was her bodyguard.

He was with her through thick and thin, always rescuing her from the traitorous people and helping her heal the sick and the wounded. For the first month, he never said a word, but after a while Katara was finally able to make him talk to her.

Their conversations were about little things at first and as the weeks dragged on, he would start opening up to her about many things. She grew increasingly fond of the Blue Spirit as the days wore on even more so as he told her more and more about himself.

She never questioned his loyalty or his methods, but the one thing that she wanted to see that he would never show her was his face. She wanted to see who was living behind that frightening blue mask. Sometimes she would be tempted to take it off when he was sound asleep, but she never touched it.

He would show her when he was ready and she decided that she could wait.

That was three years ago. Once they returned to the Earth Kingdom, he disappeared and she hasn't seen him since. To say she was hurt would be understatement of how she was really feeling. Sure, she didn't admit to him that she may have had feelings for him and that she wanted him to stay, but she wished he said goodbye first.

Katara let out a long sigh as the wind swept through her hair, she had a very long day what with the preparations for Aang and Toph's wedding. Tomorrow was going to be even longer because that was when the ceremony was taking place.

She was happy for them because for a long while she thought that Aang liked her as more than a friend, but then he announced that he was marrying Toph. That news took a lot of guilt of her shoulders.

Suddenly this feeling of familiarity came over her. It was as if she was back in the Fire Nation on a warm summer night like this, the breeze was cool and the stars were just starting to show themselves to the world and the memory of a frightening blue mask came rushing to the forefront of her mind.

Could it be him?

She sucked in her breath and turned around. Once her eyes landed on the man standing in front of her, her breath came rushing out and her knees became weak.

It was him.

The minutes passed away and neither he nor she moved or spoke. She didn't know what to say to him after so many years. Her mind was reeling with questions that she wanted to ask for so long and yet she couldn't find the words to say them. Her heartbeat increased dramatically and she found herself wanting to rush to him and feel his strong arms around her.

And that's exactly what she did.

Her sense of reality slipped away from her and she ran to him; she wrapped her arms around his neck and breathed a sigh of relief when he returned the hug. They stayed that way for along time as if they were two star-crossed lovers finally meeting again after a long separation.

Finally, she pulled away from him and looked up at where his eyes would be if he wasn't wearing that blue mask. "You came back," she stated happily. "Yes" his voice was obscured by the mask but it was enough to make a smile appear on her face.

She lifted her hand and placed it on the side of his mask; surely, now he would let her see his face. Then she felt his gloved hand on hers stopping her from removing the mask and revealing his identity.

Did he still not trust her?

Her brows furrowed in confusion and she looked at him. If he did not wish for her to see his face then she would not see it. She made that decision three years ago and if she could wait that long then she could wait a little longer. She tried to pull her hand away from his mask, but he kept it there.

No words needed to be spoken for her to understand and ever so slowly, she began to pull the mask away from his face. She was nervous, no, afraid to see who was lying underneath the blue mask, but still she wanted to see his face.

What she saw was not what she expected.

He was about her age with hardened features, glowing amber eyes, and a nasty scar covering his left eye. Her breathing was shaky as she studied him especially the scar. Then she realized that he was Fire Lord Zuko, the banished prince of the Fire Nation who had returned three years ago to claim ownership to the throne.

She looked into his bright amber eyes and she saw fear in them as if he was afraid she would reject him. A warm smile lit up her features and she looked at him lovingly. All his worries melted away when she smiled at him and he leaned his head against her own with a small smile on his face.

She did not know everything about him, she knew that now, but in time, he would tell her. All that mattered was that he was there, holding her in his arms, and he was never letting her go.


End file.
